Operated by
JR, the Narita Express is one of the quickest ways to get to and from
New Tokyo International Airport at
Narita, travelling from
Tokyo Station to the airport terminal in 53 minutes flat. The Narita Express actually serves a fairly large network of points in and near Tokyo—an
ASCII map of the stations it stops at:
Omiya
|
Ikebukuro Tokyo=====Chiba=====Narita=====Narita Airport
| |
Shinjuku---Shinagawa
|
Yokohama
|
Ofuna
Trains bound for Tokyo Station leave at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour during peak periods (morning and night), and about once an hour during the day. They rotate between
Omiya, and
Yokohama as their
final destinations, with
Shinjuku-bound trains occasionally thrown in during rush hours. At peak times, the maximum wait for a train bound for Yokohama or Omiya is one hour: during the day, you may have to wait for up to two hours.
Because it is a limited express train, the NEX charges a premium over regular trains, and is by advance reservation only ("advance" can mean a few minutes, as long as there are still seats available). One way fares as of September 2002, in yen, are:
Regular Green Car
Tokyo 2940 4980
Shinjuku 3110 5150
Ikebukuro 3110 5150
Omiya 3740 6080
Yokohama 4180 6520
Ofuna 4500 6840
Yes, I know what you're thinking: "
That's a whole smegload of money!" Well, it is, but that's beside the point. The Narita Express is immune to
traffic jams and other
Acts of God. Unless you happen to own a
helicopter, or traded in enough
Pepsi Points to get the
Harrier, the NEX is your friend.
(And if you have a Japan Rail Pass, the NEX is free! So hop on board!)